Plant for manufacturing ceramic products



2 Shets-Sheec l Sept. 6 1927.

W; L. HANLEY, JR

PLANT FOR MANUFACTURINC. CERAMIC PRoDucTs Original Filed May 5, 1925 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 2.9 /Fazlroad Crzzneway l30 /failroad INVENTOR ..A..Tl2

I ATroRNEY Sept. 6,1927.

w. L. HANLEY, vJRv 2 PLANT FOR MANUFACTURING-GERAMIC PRODUCTS ill ' bricks Patented Septu 6, 1927.

tantas 'erica lVVILLEBJI'LEE HANLEY, JR., OF BRADFORD, ?ENNSYLVANIA.

Y My invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the sameselecte'd by me for purposes of illustration, and the said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

rllhe object of my invention is to provid@ a. brick making plant in which the bricks may be carried on the same car from the time they are formed until they are fully fired, and in which the cars are not transferred until after the bricks have become fully set and hardened, as by passing through a drier, there being, in accordance with the preferred form 'of my invention, only two transfers of the cars, one from the drier to the kiln, and one from the kiln to the track leading to the unloading point. ln the operation of the ordinary brick plant as now conducted, it is customarv and usual to place the wet or greenbrick on trucks which are run onto transferring trucks and distributed to the tracks leading to the drier-s. in which the cars are again put on transfer trucks and taken to the kiln in which they are set if it is the ordinary type of kiln, or if it a tunnel kiln, they are usually rehandled and reset on kiln cars, especially designed to withstand the heat of the kiln. After passing through the tunucl kiln, the bricks are placed on cars and again rehandled, and reset on cars', which are then carried by a transfer truck to the tracks on wnich the cars are run to the unloadii point. rhe movementof a car from main tracirto the tracks of a transfer will invariably occasion certain aniounof jarring and shock to the bricks with ch the car is loaded, and where the 'e transferred while green, this jar is :apt to causo the bricks Ato slide or move `ith respect o cach other inthe various ers or tiers, and these bricks are fre- Lenti-y piled high twelve to sixteen tiers, this movement of the bricks is apt to the accuracy of their form, or in some roy carloa'd of the wet bricks, is more serious, it is apt to profr of the bricks against the side of the whif produces what its termed a u "i" is is a yc i it n `ant and sending men into the to remove. the dbris and clear PLANT OR MANUFACTURNG ERAMIC PRODUCTS..

` con lition which will lead to the top' s the stopping of Application filed May 5, 1925, Serial No. 28,050. Renewed February 4C, 1927.

the tracksy for continued operation, and in vide series of trucksl which run in vsub-` stantially a straight line from loading platforms adjacentto the off-bearing belt of the brick malning machine directly into and through the ldrier or .driers l load the green brick, which maybe either a stiff mud brick or pressed bricks, or any other type of brick,v onto cars which are preferably constructed so as to beable to resist the 'temperature ofv the firing kiln and move them in a straight line into and through the drier wfithout transferring the cars. To this end, all ofthe tracks through the drier lead directly to loading platforms adjacent to the olf-bearing belt. This isparticularly important in handling stiff mud bricks, as they are gener ally oiled or otherwise lubricated when they pass through the drier, andare exceedingly slippery, so that any ar vtends to makethem skid or cause the mass of bricks on the carto incline one way or the other, withthe disa'dvantageous' result hereinbefore referred to, all of which are avoided by my invenfy tion. l also arrange to have the olf-bearing belt pass vover the top of all the tracks leading the drier, so that 'the cars may? be.

loaded by what is termed aquarter turn of the workman in packing .the bricks on the` cars. Fromv the drier the cars are carried-by transfer truck to tunnel kiln, and being Y in a dried condition, vare not liable to injure" or shift the bricks on the cars in moving the cars4 onto land off of the transfer truck.' Thecars are then moved, always in aforward direction, through the kiln, which'l prefer to arrange parallel with thetracks leading' from the off-bearing belt to the"Y drier, the off-bearing belt being preferablyA located substantially opposite the Y centralj partof the tunnel kiln. The cars are moved out of the kiln after the bricks are fired,`

onto a transfer truck and are moved fromfk f the transfer truck onto tracks in alignment with and preferably continuous with the tracks leading from the off-bearing belt to the drier, .and the burned bricks are moved back toward the loading platform, but before Vreaching the same, are stopped adjacent to unloading platforms, where the bricks are removed and carried by any type of crane, preferably overthe top of the kiln,

' to a storage room, or rooms, or to freight vthei'inished bricksV are removed from the same ears for storage and shipment. My invention also contemplates the provision of suflicient storage space on the trucks to permit of continuous operation, of lthe kiln seven days in the week, while the brick machine and driers are only operated six days in the week, thus avoiding` any interruption in rtheheating of the kiln or kilns, and tending to great economy in iianufacture.V It Will also be noted that according to my invention, the cars are always moved forward or sideways and are never moved backward at any stage in their progress through the plant.

Y Referring'to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one form of brick making plantembodying my invention.

,"Fig.f.1 is a top plan view representing, more or less diagrammatically, the general layout of the plant. Y

',Fig. 2 represents a transverse section on ,the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, adjacent to the loading platforms and off-bearing belt.

Fig. 3 represents a similar Vcross sectional view adjacent to the unloading platforms, or sorting bench, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying' drawing` I have illustrated a plant provided with two driers and two tunnel kilns, and I -..ive shown a single brick machine and a .single off-bear-- ing belt. In this drawing. 1, represents vdiagrammatically, the brick machine, which maybe of any desired construction. While itis indicated more or less diagrammatically, it is intended to represent a brick machine for yhandling, stiff mud bricks, preferably expressing a continuous column, which is severed into individual bricks by the usual wire` cutter, 2, to which the column is conducted by a measuring belt. 3, the bricks being deliveredl in separated relation onto the off-bearing belt, indicated at 4. This brickniachine and its off-bearing belt is preferably located atlright angles to and substantially opposite the central portion of the kiln, or kilns, as shown in Fig. 1, and the oft bearing belt entends over a plurality of tracks, indicated at 5, (i, 7 and 8, leading to and threugh the'driers, which are indicated in this instance, at 9 and 10, at a sufficient elevation above the track to permit the cars, indicated at 11, to pass under the belt and its supports, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In this instance I have shown four sets of tracks, 5, (i, 7 and 8, two of which pass through each of the driers, and the olf-bearing belt extends over all four of the tracks, cars on any track can be loaded from the off-bearing belt, as desired. Suitable loading platforms, indicatedl at 12, are provided adjacent to the off bearing belt on which the operators may stand while removingl the green bricks from the belt and hacking them on the cars, and it will be noted from Fig. 1, that it is only necessary for the operators to swing their bodies through a quarter turn in hacking the bricks which enables this operation to be performed in the mostl rapid and economic manner. rlhe cars, 11, are preferably constructed with metal frames and fire brick platforms, so that they can not only be passed through the driers, but can be passed through the kilns without injury, thus avoiding the necessity of rehandlingy the bricks between the driers and the kilns. At each end of the tracks, 5, 6, 7 and 8, I provide transversely disposed transfer tracks, indicated at 13, 14, each of which is provided with a transfer truck, indicated at 15 and 16, respectively, provided with a pair of transversely disposed rails, 17, 18, which can be brought into alignment with any one of the tracks, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and also with any one of the tracks of the tunnel kilns, indicated at 19-20, which extend the full distance bctween the transfer tracks, 13, 14, and paralwith green bricks, and the cars are movedv in such a manner as to avoid jarring the soft, lubricated bricks as far as possible. In order to accomplish the movement of the cars on the tracks, 5, 6, 7 and 8, I prefer to proviue between each pair of tracks, 5MG and 7 8, an additional track, represented at 21 and 22, on which is a locomotive, preferably operated by electric power, and which can be connected by means of a chain or otherwise with the cars as they are moved longitudinally on the adjacent tracks. I have illustrated diagrammatically two of these electric locomotives, at 23 and 2li, in Fig. 1. I Wish it to'be understood, however,

.lill

will have been brought intoalignment with the main track rails to receive :the car. The transfer truck is the-n moved along the transfer track, 13, transversely of the main rails, '15, y6, 7 and 8, into alignment with the track rcrit-ending through one or other of the tunnel kilns, and indicated in dotted lines Fig. at 2:5 and 26 respectively. lt will also he understood that the tunnel kilns will be supplied with suit-able hettin,W means 'for gradually raising the dried hricks to tiring temperature, approximately midway ofthe length of the kilns, Aand to permit the fired hricks to become partially cooled loefore the lcars lcarrying theni reach the opposite ends of the kiln, and that after enough cars have been delivered into the kilns to occupy the entire trazckage therein, at the introduction of a car from the tran-ster truck, 15, into either kiln, will expel the furthermost car at the other end of the kiln, onto the rails, 18, of the truck, 16, which will have been hrought into alignment with the tracks of .the kiln. As each c; r of .heirat-'aud :cooled brick expelled'froin eitherof the kilns upon the transfer trucks, the'truck will be moved on the transfer rails, 1.4.', into .alignment with one or "other ot the main tracks, :5., 6.,- 7 and S, and moved off of the transfer truck onto .said main rail .and iii-:oued thereon :down to a position thereon :at sonic distance from the olf-bearing belt, el, where they zare to loe unloaded, having passed .entirely through the plant on the car, on which they were originally hacked.. At this point, which l term the unloading point, provide a sorting table, '27, extending .over the tracks,

I6, 7 .and 8., at :a 4sunyieient :elevation to permit the ears, il?, to pass beneath the same, and l also provide a cranevvay, indicated vat 28 in Fig. l, and which may loe `of the inonrorail or regular crane type, which 'eX'- tends transversely across the tracks, 5, ((5, 7 :and 8, :and 'preferably 4over the tops of the kiln, l@ and 520, to suitalole railway tracks, indicated :at 29 and 30, .arrangedon vone or both :sides of the craneway, and lconnected with an :ordinary railway line for the reception of trreiglit cars into which the lbricks may be loaded from the crane for "shipment the loricks may be carried by the crane into a storage' building or warehouse, indicated at 31, for storage until shipping. I prefer to locate the railway shipping line, or lines, .and the storage room on the -opposits side of the ki n, or kilns, from the which, 8l, represents the supporting *ra-ill, Y

and 35, represents the traveling crane, pro# vided with hoisting mea-ns, indicated atv 36.,

carrying a lifting device, 37, having lswiveled hooks, 38k adapted to be engaged with openings or slots, 319, in the end plates of the platforms or bor-es, 33 for liftingr them with considerable quantity .of brick, and carrying them along the raikl, tothe point of shipment, the freight car, 40, on the railway tracks, 29 or L30' .and passing over .the top .of the kiln., i. cat-ed at 169-20. Ashrick making plants are :operated only sir; days in [the week, and as it is desirable not 'to' stop the operation of the kilns, 1in onder to prevent loss of heat and interrup-l tion of the firing, it 'is extremely desirable .to operate the kilns .continuously seven days in the Week, and it is necessary, therefore, to provide sullici-ent space on the tracks, 5, 6, 7 and 8,and in the dri-ers, `9-10, so that alsuttlcient number of loaded `cars can be a-ccumulated thereon at the close of the six-th day to linsure the oper-ation continuously of roo the kiln tor twenty tour hours, without manufacturing any further bricks. Like` wise, it is' necessary to provi-de a suliicient capacity of truckage. .between the transfer track, 14, and the unloading platform, 27, to accommodate the cars of burned brick which may be removed from the kiln during the time that the brick machine is not in operation, .as on the seventh day of the week, ltor example. tunnel type, are of very considerable length, approximately, 00 feet, lan d as the brick inachine and loading platform are located sulov stan-tially centrally 'of the tracks, 5, 6, 7 and 8, which are parallel with the kiln, there will ordinarily he a suthcient storage space on these vtracks between the ott-hearing belt 4, and the transfer track, 13, andk between the transfer. track, 14, and the 'unloading platform, Q7, to take caro of this situation, lout it it is not sufficient, the distance between .the transfer tracks, 1'3, 14, can he Aincreased to provide the necessary storage trackage. II' the plant is not operated night and day, this storage capacity will also vbe available to keep the kilns in operation over night in case the lorick 'making machines are closed down. i v

As the kil-ns, 19,7120, ofl the It Will be understoqd that suitable heating means are provided for the kilns and also for the driers, which are only indicated diagrammatically `in the accompanying drawings, and both the kilns and driers may be of any usual or desired construction. The driers may also be supplied with heated products of combustion from the kilns for the purpose of conserving fuel, if desired. My invention is particularly desirablefor manufacture of bricks from stili mud, as it is termed, in the trade, but it is also applicable to the manufacture of any other type of bricku As before stated, the wet or green bricks are carried in the most directmanner from the off-bearing belt into and through the drier without any transfer or handling after they are hacked on the cars, and they are not transferred until afterleaving the drier when they are Sulliciently firm and hard to avoid injury and alsoY to avoid the probability of causing wrecks in the kiln. It will also be seen that the plant can be very economically arranged on a t-ra'ct of land with a minimum of 'waste space, and that the cars are always moved either in a forward or lateral direction, and continuous progress, never heilig permitted a retrogade movement at any stage of the operations. After the cars are unloaded at the sorting table, 27, they are moved beneath-the sorting table and beneath the otf-bearingbelt to be again reloaded with freshly made brick, sov that the brick making operation is conducted as a continuous operation. t

`Vhile I prefer to employ transfer tracks and transfer trucks at each end of the planty for transferring the cars from one track to another, I wish it to be understood that I may use curved tracks, or any other preferred form of transferring means for this purpose. I haveV indicated in the drawings, merely simple transferl trucks, capable of being moved on the transfer tracks in any desired manner, but I may employ self-propelled trucks operated by electric motors, or other driving means carried on the' trucks under the control of the operator, if deaired.

llVhat I'claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is .1. In a plan for manufacturing ceramic products, the combination with a pair of tunnel kilns arranged side by side and having a track for tunnel cars extending therethrough, car transferring moans located atvextending` over said exterior tracks at a height sufficient to permit the passage of the rat a height sufficient to permit the passage of the tunnel cars beneath the saine.

2. In a plant for manufacturing ceramic products, the combination with a pair of tunnel kilns arranged side by Vside and havling a track for tunnel cars extending therethrough, transfer tracks located at each end of said kilns Vand extending transversely with respect thereto and laterally of one side of the kilns, a transfer truck on4 each of said transfer tracks, a plurality of exterior tracks for tunnel cars extending between the lateral portions of said transfer tracks and substantially parallel to the kiln tracks, a brick machine located on the side of said exterior tracks opposite the kilns, and at a point near the center of the length of said exterior tracks and provided with an cttbearing belt extending` transversely over said exterior tracks at a height sufficient to permit the passage of tunnel cars ybeneath the same, driers located between the off-bearing belt and one of said transfer tracks and enclosing portions of the tracks, said interior tracks extending in a substantially straight line from the off-bearing belt to and through the driers, an unloading platform extending across said exterior tracks substantially perpendicular thereto, and a suficient height to permit the passage of tunnel cars thereunder, and a craneway extending over said unloading platform and over said kilns, to afshipping and storage station located on the opposite side of the kilns from said exterior tracks and leaving the opposite side of the plant from said shipping and storage station free for the reception, preparation andr storage of the materials for the manufacture of said ceramic products. i

3. The combination with a pair of tunnel' kilns arranged side by side and having each a track for tunnel cars extending therethrough, cars moving in the same direction through both kilns,a transfer track perpendicular to the tunnel track located at each end of said kiln and extending laterally thereof at one side of the kilns', a transfer truck at each of said transfer tracks, a plurality of exterior tracks for tunnel cars extending between the lateral portions of said transfer tracks and substantially parallel to the kiln tracks, a brick machine for the manufacture of stiff mud bricks, located at the side of said exterior tracks opposite the kilns, and near the central portions of said exterior tracks, an off-bearing belt extending from said brick machine transversely across all of said exterior tracks, .a sucient distance above the same to permit the passage of the tunnel cars beneath, a pair of drers located Yadj acent to one of said transfer tracks, and enclosing portions vof the exterior tracks, an unloading platform located between the olf-bearing belt and the other transfer track, and near the central portion of said exterior tracks, said unloading platform extending transversely over said exterior tracks at a height sufficient to permit the passage thereunder of the tunnel cars, and a 'craneway extending transversely of said exterior tracks, adjacent to said unloading platform for the removal of finished bricks therefrom, the portions of said exterior tracks between the off-bearing belt and the driers and within the driers, providing` storage space for tunnel cars loaded with unred bricks, and the portions of said exterior tracks between the unload-` ing platform and the other transfer track, providing storage space for tunnel cars loaded with fired brick, so as to insure the continuous operation of the kilns, Without operating the brick machin-e continuously.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

WILLIAM LEE I-IANLEY, J R. 

